Absolutely, totally, and utterly worth it,
Anner Bylsma's performances of Boccherini's cello concertos and symphonies from 1989 have been the great period instrument recording of the works since they were released. That they went out of print can only be attributed to the ability of the global classical music buying public to consume more than a few hundred copies of the disc annually. And that they are back in print only as special imported editions can only be attributed to perceived limitations of the American classical music-buying public. As for the performances themselves, they are as close to definitive as it is possible to be:
Bylsma is a superlative player with enormous strength and tremendous sensitivity and his performances are warm-hearted and wonderfully expressive performances with long, lyric lines and deep, rich sonorities. The accompaniment by
Jeanne Lamon and
Tafelmusik is clear, bright, and buoyant; the sound of Deutsche Harmonia Mundi's recording is clean, brilliant, and resonant; and the box that they've wrapped their reissue in is very attractive.